Farming subsidies

[fizzy]

It's only going to get worse for farmers as the Minister for Victorian England has stated that he doesn't care for food standards that match the EU.

I'm also sure the the Department for the Elimination of Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are going to make sure that the UK farming industry dies off in the same way that manufacturing did.

I don't like to make a potentially political point here, but;
The sad thing is that those that are in the sector insisted on bringing it on themselves. The end game is low regulation, free market capitalism. A Singapore on Thames does not support agriculture in the same way that Singapore doesn't.

Sadly there is no sign of a new Singapore either - sky high energy costs and business taxes won't attract many to come here.

 

[addjunkie]

Horsey people are willing to pay top dollar for grazing land around here so the price is far too high for agriculture.

Its everywhere, not just round your way!

its quite simplistic, if they mess about with farming and subsidies even more we as an island nation will become totally dependant on food imports, currently Ithink I-read that were at a net figure of around 80% self sustaining, as we important export foods. With the changes to subsidies, tree planting etc that may end up dropping to 60%.

Now it doesnt take much common sense to figure that as an independent island nation, who chooses not to have the ability to feed its self as we are in a global economy,…… the potential for us to be bent over and sexually exploited with glass chips inthe Vaseline isnt far away.

 

[Gareth J]

There are probably as many different subsidies as there are farmers (well, not quite) formerly, the big one, across Europe was the common agricultural policy (CAP). A land area based payment for farming the land. Was set up to essentially to make food cheaper and food production more secure. It's a very basic system so (our govnt call it the "basic payment scheme") it's cheap to organise but equally, some farmers get it and don't need it, some non financially viable businesses scrape by because of it.

We, **exit Britain, used to get the CAP but it's being phased out. There will be lots of other options for getting payments, but they won't replace the amount of CAP the countries farmers used to get so big changes are afoot.

There are, with one global instability after another, serious food shortage fears for the next harvest. Many European countries have asked their farmers to, if they want to, temporarily exit "green" payment options to plant food with no penalty and, in some cases, a financial incentive. Here, the UK folk in charge don't seem so concerned. Plans to reduce agricultural payments and the land area that's farmed are continuing..... Maybe this year wouldn't be a bad one to get the veg patch planted...

I like the idea of specific subsidies for specific inefficient features of farming that we value. Hay meadows, dry stone walls etc. And making general farming more competitive/market driven. But can also see the value in a cheap to implement buffer that could be seen as an insurance policy against famine.

 

[Fraserb]

There are probably as many different subsidies as there are farmers (well, not quite) formerly, the big one, across Europe was the common agricultural policy (CAP). A land area based payment for farming the land. Was set up to essentially to make food cheaper and food production more secure. It's a very basic system so (our govnt call it the "basic payment scheme") it's cheap to organise but equally, some farmers get it and don't need it, some non financially viable businesses scrape by because of it.

We, **exit Britain, used to get the CAP but it's being phased out. There will be lots of other options for getting payments, but they won't replace the amount of CAP the countries farmers used to get so big changes are afoot.

There are, with one global instability after another, serious food shortage fears for the next harvest. Many European countries have asked their farmers to, if they want to, temporarily exit "green" payment options to plant food with no penalty and, in some cases, a financial incentive. Here, the UK folk in charge don't seem so concerned. Plans to reduce agricultural payments and the land area that's farmed are continuing..... Maybe this year wouldn't be a bad one to get the veg patch planted...

I like the idea of specific subsidies for specific inefficient features of farming that we value. Hay meadows, dry stone walls etc. And making general farming more competitive/market driven. But can also see the value in a cheap to implement buffer that could be seen as an insurance policy against famine.

Next harvest will be the interesting one, a lot of inputs for this year were bought before prices went crazy, planting crops this year knowing the cost of the fertiliser to grow it will make a lot of people think if its worth the risk.

 

[northwest]

Supermarkets use milk as a loss leader (god knows why as i dont know anyone who knows what they pay for a pint of milk let alone anyone who selects where they shop based on the place that sells the cheapest milk) so they always drive the cost per litre/pint as low as they can

I remember a meeting where the CEO of the Co-operative society asked my father what he intended to do about the drop in doorstep deliveries of milk(my father was secretary of the National Dairyman's Association at the time) I remember my father's response which was quite colourful and went along the lines of "when you lot (Supermarkets) stop giving milk away the deliveries will recover". They never did they never have.

I bought 2x 4pint jugs of milk in M&S at BP Station last night, £1.15 each. I pretty sure it's quite a bit more in Asda

When I go downstairs shortly I will open the front door and there will be three bottles of milk and a one pint carton of cream there. I will ALWAYS have a Milkman. If they will deliver.


PS. I need the cream, it is for my cholesterol and my coffee.

 

[Bravheart]

There are probably as many different subsidies as there are farmers (well, not quite) formerly, the big one, across Europe was the common agricultural policy (CAP). A land area based payment for farming the land. Was set up to essentially to make food cheaper and food production more secure. It's a very basic system so (our govnt call it the "basic payment scheme") it's cheap to organise but equally, some farmers get it and don't need it, some non financially viable businesses scrape by because of it.

We, **exit Britain, used to get the CAP but it's being phased out. There will be lots of other options for getting payments, but they won't replace the amount of CAP the countries farmers used to get so big changes are afoot.

There are, with one global instability after another, serious food shortage fears for the next harvest. Many European countries have asked their farmers to, if they want to, temporarily exit "green" payment options to plant food with no penalty and, in some cases, a financial incentive. Here, the UK folk in charge don't seem so concerned. Plans to reduce agricultural payments and the land area that's farmed are continuing..... Maybe this year wouldn't be a bad one to get the veg patch planted...

I like the idea of specific subsidies for specific inefficient features of farming that we value. Hay meadows, dry stone walls etc. And making general farming more competitive/market driven. But can also see the value in a cheap to implement buffer that could be seen as an insurance policy against famine.

^^^^ this.

The payments made to farmers was from ec coffers to ensure food stability and cheaper price for the taxpayer (you). Hold onto your hats because post br.x.t markets are now going haywire.
A few of the prices are being carried by the supermarket short term but this won't last. Only yesterday there was an egg producer on the radio complaining about increased feed prices and the packer not paying extra because the supermarket won't pay the extra. His short term answer will be to cull the laying hens early to cut production costs. It only takes a few like that and egg production will be severely cut leading to a shortage and that's repeated throughout the food industry.

 

[Keith 66]

When theres a shortage the price will go up. I wonder if all those people who stockpiled & hoarded toilet rolls will get rich!

 

[Geoffm]

Farming subsidies are interesting. New Zealand axed farm subsidies in the mid 1980s. The country was broke and couldn't afford them anyway. It was very hard on NZ farmers, and there were casualties. It has made the industry more resourceful and resilient by developing new markets and products, rather than farming subsidies.
The supermarkets screwed over Australian dairy farmers with loss leading milk and it hit the farmers and processors there with many exiting the industryor struggling. They tried it here, but they got told that NZ exports 98% of the dairy production, and they can pay the going rate, or it will be 100% exported, as the local market was basically irrelevant.
Current price in the local supermarket for a 2L bottle of milk is $nz5.50 to $6, or around 2.65 to 3 pounds including 15% VAT.

https://www.countdown.co.nz/shop/searchproducts?search=Milk